Cooling centrifugal compressors.



I F. E. NORTON. I COOLING CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30. 1914', 1,251,410.

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APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30. 1914.

Patented Dec. 2,

Witnesses F. E. NORTON. coouwc CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS.

APPLICATION HLED OCT. 30. I914- Patented Dec; 25, 1917.

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v APPUCATION FILED OCT. 30, I914. 1,251,410. Patented Dec 1917.

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FRED FLMER NORTON, or

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

'700LING CENTBI FU GAL COMPRESSORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

Application filed October 30, 1914:. Serial No. 869,481.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED E. NORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at W'orcester, county of \Vorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful lmprovementsin*Ceoling Cenof which the followin is a specification.

.lhis invention relates to centrifugal air compressors, especially of the multistage type, and its object is to provide an eificient cooling system therefor, in order toabstract the heat arising from the compression of the air and the friction of the same against the walls of the curved passages through which it flows. In a multistage compressor, diaphragms are located betweenthe impeller wheels, and the air thrown off by said wheels is directed from one wheel to the next by passages in and around the diaphragms. To absorb and carry away this heat, a cooling system is provided, usually consisting of chambers in the diaphragms through which a cooling medium, preferably water, can be circulated. In some cases, however, these cooling systems are found to be deficient owing to the fact that pockets occur in which some of the water stagnates and becomes intensely hot, thereby permitting damage to adjacent parts of the machine. My invention aims to overcome this trouble by providing a system of passages and bailiing partitions and vent holes which cause a complete circulation of the cooling medium and avoid the formation of heatcollecting pockets.

In brief, the invention comprises a diaphragm for a centrifugal multistage air compressor, having hollow walls comprising upper and lower chambers divided into compartments containing staggered partitions to form tortuous passages for the cooling fluid. Vent holes are made in some of the partitions to assist in the fluid circulation and prevent the pocketing of air.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, ref erence being had to the accompanyino drawings in which Figure 1 is a side el evation of a multistage centrifugal compressor, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, on a smaller scale. cross-section on theline 33, Fi 1, partly broken away to show parts'behlnd in section. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of one Fig. 3 1s ar of thediaphragms on the line .1-4, Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sections of the diaphragm on the lines 55, 66, respectively, Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the tortuous passages for the fluid and its paths therethrcugh. I

The: casing of the machine is composed of an upper half 10 and a lower half 11, meeting on a horizontal axial plane. The intake 12 for the air is located in the head 13 of the casing; the outlet 14 being in the head 15. The halves of the casing and the heads are suitably flanged and secured together by bolts. The lower half has feet which are supported by a suitable bed-plate or other foundation. In the heads of the casing are bearing. in which is journaled the shaft 16, on which are mounted any desired number of impellers 17. The drawings show a three stage machine, having three impellers, each of which has a central body with blades 18 cast into it on both sides. The air or other fluid enters each set of blades in an axial direction, but it is thrown off from the periphery of the impeller in a radial direction, its velocity being altered to pressure in suitable stationary discharge passages. The impellers act successively upon the fluid, which is forced from one to another through passages in the diaphragms which separate the chambers in which the impellers work. The degree of compression to which the fluid is subjected depends upon the number and size of the impellers and the speed at which they are rotated.

In order to cool the compressed air, water, or other heat absorbing medium, is circulated through the machine in proximity to the air passages. My invention has especial reference to-the hollow diaphragms separating the impeller chambers, and containing compartments through which the cooling water circulates.

The interior of the casing has a plurality of inwardly extending longitudinal radial ribs 19 whose edges are bored out cylindrically to fit the peripheries of the circular diaphragms 9.0.

The air entering through the intake 12 divides into two portions, one of which goes directly. to the right hand side of the first (right hand) impeller in Fig. 1, through the central eye 21, while the other portion divides into four parallel streams which flow through the spaces 22 between the ribs 19, passing around the edge of the diaphragm to the radial passages 23 therein, which conduct it to the left-hand side of the first impeller. The air thrown off by this impeller passes to the left, part of it diving through the .gadial passages 24 (which alternate with the passages 23) to the right hand side of the next impeller, while the remainder flows through longitudinal spaces 25, (alternating with the spaces 22) to the left hand side of said next impeller by way of radial passages 23 in the next diaphragm.

The Walls of each diaphragm are hollow, and the chamber in each wall is divided in two horizontally, because the diaphragm is made in upper and lower halves, to facilitate assembling and repairs. At four points the right and left chambers in each half communicate through passages formed in the partitions 26 between the radial passages 23,24; the outer portions of said partitions being double-walled for that purpose, (Fig. 3). Each of the chambers in the hollow Walls of the diaphragm is divided into compartments, and each compartment has one or more partitions or bafiie plates.

Coming through a pipe 27, the waiter enters a compartment in the left hand lower chamber of the diaphragm (as seen in Fig. 4). This chamber is shown in section in Fig. 5, and it will be seen, by following the arrows, that the water divides into two parts, one flowing to the right and the other to the left, and both passing in a serpentine course first through the two lower chambers and then through the pipes 28 connecting the lower with the upper chambers, and then through the two upper chambers, until it leaves by the pipe 29. Tracing the path of the right hand water stream in Figs. 5 and 6, it is seen to pass over the edge of the baiile 30 in compartment 31, left wall, then through a cross-passage 32 in a partition 26 to the right hand compartment 33 in the lower chamber of the right wall of the diaphragm; then over and under the edges of the staggered baffies 34, then in part through a pipe 28 to the compartment 35 in the upper chamber of the right wall, and in part through a cross-passage 36.to the compartment 37 in,the left wail; thence through a pipe 28 to the compartment 38 in the upper chamber of that wal Passing around the baflic 39 in compartment 38, the water goes through a cross-passage 40 to the compartment 35 in the right wall where it dodges around the staggered baffles 41 to the cross passage 42 by which it returns to the left wall, entering compartment 43 from which, after rounding the bafile 44, it escapes by the pipe 29. The course of the other half of the water around the left hand side of Figs. 5 and 6 is identical with that just described,

l whether each waste pipe 48. T

the two portions meeting in the compartment 43.

It will thus be seen that the cooling medium passes from a compartment in one Wall across to a compartment in the other wall, thence back to the next compartment in the first wall, and so on, flowing through successive compartments in the two Walls alternately.

As will be clear from Figs. 5 and 6, the partition walls in the respective cooling chambers are staggered relative to each other so that each compartment in one cooling chamber overlaps with two compartments in the other.

The cooling water contains more or less air, which is liable to collect in upper corners in the compartments and prevent the water from coming in contact with the heated metal. I therefore provide vent holes 45 in the partitions and baffles at points where the air is likely to'pocket, so that the air can escape and culating water, which can thus reach all nooks and corners of the chambers.

The heated water escaping through the pipe 29 flows into an open funnel 46, thus enabling the attendant to see at a glance diaphragm is getting the proper quantity of cooling water, and whether any undue heating is occurring. The several diaphragms are connected in multiple to the water pipe 47 and the several funnels deliver the water .to a common e entire casing may be surrounded by a jacket 49 forming an inclosing space through which cooling water can be circulated.

In accordance with'the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of myinvention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s:-

1. In a multi-stage compressor, the combinationof a casing, and diaphragms therein forming impeller chambers between them,

each diaphragm comprising walls forming be carried away by the cirto one 1 men-ale gal compressor having double walls with connecting cross passages at intervals, each well being divided into upper and lower chambers, and each chamber being divided into. compartments provided with bafile plates, means for supplying a cooling medium to one of said compartments, and vent holes at suitable points in some of said plates to prevent the pocketing of air.

3. A diaphragm for a multistage centrifugal compressor made in upper and lower halves, and having double Walls, partitions dividing the chambers in said Walls into compartments, bafiie plates in said compartments, some of said plates having vent holes, cross passages in said diaphragm connecting the chambers in opposite walls,

FRED ELMER NORTON.

Witnesses C. F. STEVENS, MARY G MCC RTHY.

have hereunto set 20 

